Update on the Mini and my situation

"Desu-San-Desu" (Desu-San-Desu)
12/30/2015 at 23:20 • Filed to: None

For anyone who missed the start of all this, you can read my original thread !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

So, an update on what’s currently going on...

After installation of the new master cylinder and the new slave cylinder, we bled the system thoroughly with a Motive Power Bleeder at 7-10psi, as recommended. We made sure to not exceed 14psi at any point. Once the system was nice and bled with 3 clear bleed cycles, we tested the pedal and it felt good. We measured the slave piston extension distance and were still falling short on what we needed.

So we rigged up a way to hold the clutch pedal to the floor with the reservoir cap slightly loose to help bleed any lingering bubbles out over time. During this time we took multiple periodic measurements of the cylinder piston extension distance to see if there were any discrepancies. During this time we also jumped off the Audi to make sure it can still crank. It immediately began to leak oil just as it had been when I parked it and the distributor issues left it running very rough. We decided to table it and shop around for cam and crank seals and a distributor if the need arises, assuming there are no other underlying issues aside from the distributor and oil leak. We didn’t get a chance to check out the rear suspension issue.

After about an hour, the slave cylinder piston measurements were no different, so we decided to take it off the jacks and try it out. Before we did, though, I decided to take one last measurement. As I was doing so, I noticed a very minor sheen of liquid around the lip of the cylinder arm boot and peel it back a bit to check for fluid. Immediately, about a 1/4 cup of fluid poured out from inside the boot. So the replacement slave cylinder we bought was obviously bad.

We immediately called the local Mini dealership, who had a slave cylinder in stock 2 days earlier, albeit twice the price of the same unit that was rush ordered from Advance Auto Parts. They still had it, so we rushed over and I got it. We then returned the faulty replacement unit at Advance and headed home.

Upon installing and compressing the new slave cylinder into the compression jig we made, we attached it to the hydraulic feed line and bled it as instructed. After about 5 bleeds, with the last 3 being completely clear of any bubbles, we removed it from the compression jig and bolted it into place. We then primed the clutch pedal and did a couple press-and-hold bleeds which again resulted in clear fluid with no bubbles. Throughout all of the bleeding process, we’d been keeping the reservoir level above minimum to make sure no air was sucked into the system. At this point the pedal still felt a tiny bit soft but it has good linear movement and we’d gained an additional 1/4” on slave arm extension travel.

We decided to try it out. We lowered the car down, primed the pedal a few times, and put it in reverse (so that if it dragged, it would go backwards out of the garage instead of forwards), held the clutch to the floor, and started the car. Immediately there was a sound like a belt screeching, followed by a sound like a wrench being dropped (all tools and components were accounted for prior to lowering the car). When the sound happened, there was no vibration and shuddering that could be felt in the chassis or the pedals. My friend Kyle and I immediately feared the worst.

The sound only happened the one time, though, and then the car sounded completely normal. Letting off of the brake pedal resulted in no creep. Letting the clutch out resulted in normal grab and movement. I tried to shift gears like normal and while it would go into and out of gear, it took a lot of effort and was not smooth at all. We put it in first and pulled it forward a bit and nothing was out of the ordinary save for the difficulty getting in and out of gears.

At this point, Kyle recommended I put it in neutral and hold the revs at 2,000 rpms. I did and nothing unusual happened and no unusual noises issued forth. He then instructed me to hold the revs there, with it still in neutral, and let the clutch in and out. Again, nothing out of the ordinary. No dragging on the engine, no creep, no unusual sounds. We were both very concerned about the noise we’d heard when the car first cranked, but other than that one time, everything seemed normal except for the difficulty getting in and out of gear.

I cut the car off and pumped the clutch a little bit, at which point we noticed that the squeaking from what we’re guessing was the pressure fork bushings was now quiet. We’re unsure if the loss of the squeaking is a bad sign, a good sign, or just a null point. Pumping the pedal with the engine off resulted in no sound at all except the sound of the master cylinder boot venting air as it compressed (it’s supposed to do this).

At this point, we were at a loss, so we decided to jack the car back up and gave the entire visible system a look around. We found no evidence of leaks from either the slave or the master cylinder, no evidence of leaks from any of the lines, the reservoir level was fine, and the slave cylinder extension was no different than it had been before cranking the car up and testing the gears.

At this point, we were concerned that I may have crunched the throwout/release bearing. But aside from that one sound at the first crank, there have been no other odd or worrisome sounds. As a final ditch effort, we have decided to do what a few others have done, jacked the car up on stands and reinstalled the clutch wedge rig to keep the pedal pressed to the floor. We’re going to leave it overnight and I’m going to take regular arm travel measurements and continue to check for any evidence of leaks. We’re hoping that by leaving it like this for an extended period of time, any stubborn air pockets will eventually work their way out of the system through the reservoir cap vent. I’ve checked it once already after about 2 hours and thus far everything is unchanged- no change in arm travel, no signs of leaking, or fluid in the slave cylinder boot.

If everything seems up to snuff in the morning and I see no signs of leaks and the arm travel has no major changes (we’re anticipating a tiny drop as air works its way out of the system), I’m going to lower it down, pump the pedal 10-12 times, check the reservoir level, and try and run the car.

If this doesn’t work, the next step involves tearing the front end apart, dropping the subframe, and accessing the transmission- which my garage has not the space nor the equipment to handle. My funds are already extremely, extremely limited and I can’t afford the labor charges of having someone else do it. I’ve had a little help from a few very kind-hearted friends so that I MIGHT be able to afford a Valeo 52151203 Clutch Conversion Kit, as it comes highly recommended, is reputed to be more reliable than the stock setup, is cheaper than an OEM kit and gets rid of the complicated dual-mass flywheel that comes with the car.

I’ll also have to buy a new guide tube, input shaft seal, rear main seal, and probably some other minor wear item I’m forgetting about at the moment. If that needs to happen, I’ll also go ahead and flush in new transmission fluid while I’m at it. I hear Redline MTL and Redline Lightweight Shockproof come highly recommended.

If I am able to afford to while doing the transmission, I will probably also service the supercharger gear oil (I’m thinking AMSOIL) and replace the leaky crank position sensor. The gear oil is doubtful, as the necessary supplies for the clutch repair alone is going to decimate what few funds I do have available. This is all assuming that my throwout/release bearing hasn’t entirely exploded and torn the inside of my bell housing to shreds.

As it stands, though, if it’s not on the road in the morning and I have to drop the transmission, I’m going to be without a car for at least a week, if not more. My manager has stopped replying to my messages since I last updated him (as he requested), so my employment status at this point is unknown but I’m fearing the worst.

Tomorrow, whether or not the Mini is running, I’m going to clean up the van, take new pictures of it, and put it back on craigslist. I’m also going to roll the Mini out of the garage and roll the Audi in and begin seeing what all it will take to get it road worthy. Right now, the things it needs are about equivalent in costs to what the Mini needs, so it’s a real toss-up. The Mini has been dead-on reliable since I bought it a year ago except for this. The Audi....not so much. But I own the Audi outright and, as much as it breaks my heart to think about it, if I lose the Mini, at least I’ll have the Audi as a not-so-reliable fallback.

If the Mini isn’t roadworthy tomorrow, I’m going to call my financing company and see if they can work with me at all in regards to this month’s bill cycle. They’re not shy about enforcing repossessions for late payments, so I’m pretty nervous about it. I had hoped to refinance after 18 months or so of on-time payments, but now I’m just hoping I don’t lose the car within the next couple of weeks.

My fiancee and I are trying to stay strong through this and not let the kids see our worry and concern. Our water and power bills are slightly behind but otherwise we have food and a roof over our heads and our other bills are caught up. Between losing my job the week before Christmas (I found out yesterday they’ve fired almost their entire workforce and are on the verge of total bankruptcy), our dryer going out on us, my fiancee’s van overheating and developing a major rod knock, and now the Mini having this happen the day after I started working as a delivery driver, it has been a very trying time indeed.

But we are not giving up. We will find a way through this. I’ve been through worse times than this and I’m still kicking. The biggest difference between then and now? I have a family to keep me motivated like never before. We will find a way.

DISCUSSION (31)

Matt Nichelson > Desu-San-Desu
12/30/2015 at 23:28

“The biggest difference between then and now? I have a family to keep me motivated like never before. We will find a way.”

That, dear sir, is what it’s all about. Stay positive and keep going. I hope it all works out for you.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Desu-San-Desu
12/30/2015 at 23:30

I hope you get back on your feet. I can’t imagine someone going through far worse than I’m going through now (injured back and knee, laid up for a few days, may never be able to move the same again). Here’s to better things to come in the new year.

Levitas > Desu-San-Desu
12/30/2015 at 23:36

Are you located anywhere near Indiana? I’ve replaced the tranny/clutch on an r50 MINI and would be willing to offer help/tools. I’ve got the entire next week off before I head back to school.

Birddog > Desu-San-Desu
12/30/2015 at 23:40

Glad to see that you’re staying strong through this mess. I was in a similar situation a few years back. Chronic depression is a damn sob too.

If you were closer I’d volunteer to fix that Dryer. (Don’t call a repair guy! It’s an easy job I promise!.)

Keep up the good fight!

Desu-San-Desu > Birddog
12/30/2015 at 23:42

Yeah, it’s the heating coil. I’ve already taken everything apart. I just don’t have the money for the replacement assembly. Our house is covered with wet clothes as we try and air-dry them in 90% humidity.

Desu-San-Desu > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3
12/30/2015 at 23:43

Cheers to better days for both of us, man.

Desu-San-Desu > Levitas
12/30/2015 at 23:43

Sadly, no. I’m in Greenville, South Carolina.

Birddog > Desu-San-Desu
12/30/2015 at 23:46

I don’t recommend this but.. I did resort to cutting a section of the coil out and twisting it back together to get the dryer working again once. It was winter in Chicago, had to be done.

Desu-San-Desu > Birddog
12/30/2015 at 23:48

Sadly, the coil has already been disposed of. It was quite old and shorted out badly enough to self-separate.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Desu-San-Desu
12/30/2015 at 23:51

Cheers.

E92M3 > Desu-San-Desu
12/30/2015 at 23:55

Stay strong brother! Keep that positive attitude. I’ve had a few days this year where I considered ending it all. My son is what kept me from doing it, and gave me the strength to keep going. Life throws you some major curveballs at times, and it sucks. There will be better days ahead.

Birddog > Desu-San-Desu
12/30/2015 at 23:57

Ah. Are you going to try finding a new-used Dryer or repair this one?

Desu-San-Desu > Birddog
12/31/2015 at 00:04

Repair this one. The replacement coil assembly with backplate and new bearing is about $70. It was supposed to be my next purchase before my clutch decided it didn’t want to work anymore.

Levitas > Desu-San-Desu
12/31/2015 at 00:07

Ah man. Well I hope everything goes well, I hate to see a MINI owner have any troubles. I’ll keep an eye out for your posts and try to offer any knowledge I have.

Birddog > Desu-San-Desu
12/31/2015 at 00:15

I may be able to get a better price. If you want send the Model#, Serial# and any part numbers to buck@iteams.org. Maybe I can help out long distance.

Desu-San-Desu > Birddog
12/31/2015 at 00:23

I’ll see what I can do in the morning. I’m about to call it a night. Today has been exhausting and I may very well still have a long day ahead of me tomorrow.

Of the top of my head, it is a Frigidaire Gallery series. I’ll have to look up specifics in the morning.

RyanFrew > Desu-San-Desu
12/31/2015 at 00:24

Wish I would have seen your previous post sooner. This absolutely sounds like the pressure plate to me. I have an R53 that recently suffered the same issues. I can upload a picture of the pressure plate tomorrow - it was shattered. Have you tried driving the car? Trick would be to put the car in gear while it’s off and then rev match on subsequent shifts. For reasons I don’t understand, I was unable to do this when the transmission went out, but able to do it on the way to the mechanic a couple of months later.

Chasaboo > Desu-San-Desu
12/31/2015 at 00:43

Minis seem prone to more problems than Japanese makes. Regardless, I’ve still wanted one. Hope you get yours sorted.

Desu-San-Desu > RyanFrew
12/31/2015 at 00:47

We’ve only tried driving the car a few feet. I may try tomorrow, depending on how everything looks in the morning. I’m just so stressed about all of this. Pretty sure I’m out of a job at this point and the little money I have is dwindling very fast.

If it was the pressure plate, wouldn’t I be able to feel or hear something aside from the difficulty getting in and out of gear? I imagine that would have to be very loud and fairly constant. How bad was the inside of the bell-housing damage?

Desu-San-Desu > Chasaboo
12/31/2015 at 00:54

Aside from this, mine has been utterly reliable since I bought it. The ‘05-’06 S models are generally considered the most reliable of the bunch, but even they have a few common issues. The stock clutch seems to be a wild card. Some go at horribly low miles, some make it to 150k and beyond without a problem. The general consensus is that a bad slave cylinder design and a plastic release bearing are to blame.

RyanFrew > Desu-San-Desu
12/31/2015 at 00:56

In my experience, nope. Bell housing was fine. Everything felt and sounded normal aside from the fact that I couldn’t get the clutch to disengage. There are some things that you are experiencing differently from me, though. First of all, my clutch pedal still felt the same, even if it wasn’t actually accomplishing anything. Also, I lost the transmission under heavy acceleration, in between shifts. How many miles on the Mini?

Here’s a pic of the pressure plate:

Kinja'd!!!

Desu-San-Desu > RyanFrew
12/31/2015 at 01:04

It’s almost at 93k miles. I’ve put just under 20k miles on it since I bought it and aside from the clutch pedal sometimes feeling slightly inconsistent and once or twice having trouble getting into reverse or second, it’s been a complete champ. When it went out on me on Sunday, it was out of the blue with no warning whatsoever.

RyanFrew > Desu-San-Desu
12/31/2015 at 01:30

My experience has been that, although reliable, they're an absolute BITCH to fix when the do break. And expensive...

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Desu-San-Desu
12/31/2015 at 01:30

One clutch bleeding method that has treated me quite well, even better than power bleeding at times, was running a long house from the bleed screw into the fluid in the master. It uses more fluid and can be messy, but it closes the whole circuit. You well have no pedal feel or return while doing this with the bleeder open, but once closed its usually just right.

Good luck.

Desu-San-Desu > RyanFrew
12/31/2015 at 01:40

The parts aren’t all that expensive as an average. Somethings are confoundingly expensive, yes, but by and large they aren’t too bad if you shop around.

As for difficulty level...yeah, there’s definitely a learning curve. But practice makes perfect. I have a buddy with an ‘05 who can have his supercharger off in 30 minutes and back on in 45.

RyanFrew > Desu-San-Desu
12/31/2015 at 01:44

WHAT?! I'd like to see that ha. Have you swapped the belt yet? That's a fun preventative maintenance job.......

Desu-San-Desu > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
12/31/2015 at 01:44

At this point, I’m fairly certain it’s as bled as it’s going to get. I almost feel like this overnight thing is just perfunctory, but it may reveal something. And that’s all I’m wanting out of it right now: some answers and information. My finances at this point, even with a little help from my friends (oh what would you say if I sang out of key...), don’t allow for much more than that.

Desu-San-Desu > RyanFrew
12/31/2015 at 01:45

No, not yet. I’ve looked at it and it’s in great condition. If I don’t lose the car during this, I had planned on bumping to a 15% pulley at a later date, which would come with a new and appropriately sized belt.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Desu-San-Desu
12/31/2015 at 01:57

Yeah, I figured as much. Just wish I could help more. Oh! Maybe see if a parts store has a bore-scope that you could borrow and have a look at the clutch without taking the transmission out. It’s a long shot, you may not see anything.

Yeah, I really wish I could help more. I hate seeing people have car and money issues because I’ve been through them myself and know how hard it can be. Especially for someone like you with a not-so-small family to support and the particular difficulties you must encounter with yours. You sir, have all the respect I can offer.

Tareim - V8 powered > Desu-San-Desu
12/31/2015 at 06:19

sounds like a terrible situation to be in, really hope you get it all sorted and get back on your feet asap

pip bip - choose Corrour > Desu-San-Desu
12/31/2015 at 07:54

hopefully 2016 is better for you!